VHS / RCA to newish MacBook Pro with USB -C inputs only

[brooklynjoe]

Any ideas / thoughts on how to make this work? Been searching forever and can't find the right equipment. I've got an old Canopus but its output is Firewire 400 which doesn't help me much going to USB-C.

I saw a YouTube video where some guy daisy-chained about 5 adapters to finally get something working. I'd rather avoid that solution if at all possible.

I've got a VHS player and a couple Hi8 camcorders. They all have RCA outputs. Can't find the right tool to bring them into my Mac with USB-C inputs.

I've searched B&H, Amazon, NewEgg, and, of course, Google. Any help is appreciated.

[super8rescue]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW2Bbn_OjNA

[usually_quiet]

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-Capture-Digitize-iPad/dp/B0029U2YSA
https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Adapter-Compatible-MacBook-Samsung/dp/B07BS8SRWH/

I posted a link to the Elgato Video Capture because it has OS X drivers available and comes with capture software.

If VideoGlide software still works with newer versions of OS X, there is a list of other standard definition USB capture devices that could work with VideoGlide at the software's webpage.

There are more options for SD capture using a Windows PC.

[Edit]If you don't want to daisy chain a bunch of adapters for the Canopus firewire device there is a USB C dock with a Firewire port as shown in an advertisement in super8rescue's link. See https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB3DK13PSL/ It is discontinued but you might find it for sale used somewhere.

You still need a firewire 400 to firewire 800 adapter to connect a firewire 400 device to the dock: https://www.amazon.com/elago-FireWire-Adapter-MacBook-Computers/dp/B003L4P872/

Adapter daisy chain:
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Thunderbolt-USB-C-Adapter/dp/B01MQ26QIY/
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Thunderbolt-to-FireWire-Adapter/dp/B00SQ2CJUS/
https://www.amazon.com/elago-FireWire-Adapter-MacBook-Computers/dp/B003L4P872/

[brooklynjoe]

Okay. I bought the Elgato. Supposedly it doesn't work on the latest Mac's but it's returnable.

[Eric-jan]

Try to find a suitable semi-pto capture device that captures through component video.
FireWire is no option for a MAC,(almost no good software support) and there aren't that many USB-C capture devices.
for component video: search for a VCR that outputs the "tape" video signal also over component video output, or use a DVD recorder with component video out as a passthrough device, an old MacBook Pro (2013-2015) with Thunderbolt 2, An Intensity Shuttle (Thunderbolt2) and a device with component video out is a perfect combination, and you never need any TBC device is my experience, TBC's are hard to come by and if.... they come at a price, so you want to get rid of it when you're done with transfering.
(there's no good Firewire capture software available for the MAC OS, other than old/special quicktime versions, or certain iMovie versions even then you have little to no control over settings)
You allmost can't avoid to adapt interfacing the "newish" MAC because only the old MAC's still have plenty of ports, prefer goes to 2013-2015 Mac's.
Also.... Thunderbolt 3 isn't allways (or isn't) compatible with USB-C be very careful with that.

[Cornucopia]

Your Mac very likely has Tbolt3, not merely USB-C.
If you don't mind $$, say 450, you could get a Blackmagic Ultrasudio HD mini, and get a few rca->bnc adapters (for composite & component) and a few rca->1/4" ones (for audio).

Again, not a lot of options for Macs, and even less for new Macs, and there's a wide divide between high & low quality.


Scott

[Eric-jan]

Only other option would be a standalone hardware encoder, but it encodes directly to MP4,(onto SD card) so any post editing will give quality loss.
Only go for such option if another user has this tested already.
an other option is to find a legacy capture device that has proved quality, but you have to downgrade to legacy hard and software too
These legacy capture devices won't work on windows10 or have driver support on a MAC most of the time.(both USB C and Thunderbolt 3 have the same physical connection, but are not one and the same)
Combo recorders (VHS and DVD/HDD) can copy one on one but most of the time MPEG2 is used, and this is not ideal.
Any commercial transfer service is also no guarantee for quality.
When using any interface converter, use only one Apple dongle for this, and not through a generic hub.
Another hardware option can also be a monitor-recorder, but these only record via SDI or HDMI converting is needed, but is difficult because of this, handshake from HDMI is often a failpoint, if build-in HDCP is blocking, converters with un-blocking specs are needed.
some China made devices will also protection "unaware"